The First and Final Rose
by IrisCarlyle
Summary: The Doctor and Rumpelstiltskin collect in on their debts. For Rumpel it is getting Belle to go back in time and watch him. For The Doctor, it is an enchanted mirror that can see through the parallel worlds.


Belle looks up from the bloody straw and the mess she has created. Her hands are caught in cuffs of iron and her hair is matted with dirt and blood. She does not look like a pretty sight with her hard glare and torn dress. "You're the executioner," she points of flatly, bored.

The man in the shadows shakes his head, "Nope." He pops. The man is leaning against a blue box that looks so out of place in this dungeon with the putrid smell and rats.

Her gaze softens but she still looks fierce "Then who are you?" Belle asks, bangs in her eyes, a drop of blood falling from her temple.

"Here to take you on a journey," he says with a sly grin.

"How pompous!" She laughs a little, a hard bite of annoyance straight in his slender face. "You have no keys, no one escapes the Queen."

"Ah well," he waggles three slender iron sticks near her face, "I must be no one."

Belle's eyes brighten but cautiousness is held behind her frame. She is tired, she has lived here far to long, far to long in a prison cell. For a moment she catches a glimpse of herself, of her old self. But it quickly fades, along with the bright eyes. "Trickery," she whispers.

He shakes his head, brown pouncing upon his head. His face is still hidden and unseen, but his frame is as bright as day. "Nope." And he walks over towards her, sinking the rusted iron into her clasps, he twists and she is free.

Belle rubs her wrists, which ache from months hidden away. She looks up at him, this little gift. "Thank you." She says, the corner of her lip twitching.

"Don't mention it!" He smiles and she can finally see him. He has light olive skin and is yet rather pale. Brown, feathery hair crops his head and he has sideburns. Brown eyes, thin yet handsome face and a streak of a nose. He is rather tall and lanky, but looks warm. "But I think we should be going."

Now it is her time to laugh and she chuckles a little. "Where to? And look at me, I'm so not presentable..." For the first time she notices the ugly gray rags she wears and her matted, destroyed hair.

"We can take care of that in my... ah, carriage." He begins to walk away, back towards the blue box.

She laughs again, not convinced. "What kind of carriage do you have? Does it hold an entire castle?"

"More or less" he replies, grinning. There is a door on the blue box and he opens it. "Are you coming Belle?"

For a moment she stands there, not sure. But then she hears the faint echo of men hurrying down the staircase to the dungeon, and the clatter of weapons. "Mind I suggest you hurry," adds the man.

Belle refuses to let this chance of freedom escape her. "But it wont do anything!" She hisses through clenched teeth.

"Think again," the man adds before stepping inside the blue box.

Belle snorts, following him. Be it on his beautiful head they get caught and die. She is already set to death at midnight, which isn't far off, so she's not scared. Opening the door she sees a dull yellow glow before stepping inside.

The thing is no carriage, more like a gigantic cathedral. No, it didn't look this big before she stepped in unless... "Magic," She breathes, mystified. "I've only known one so powerful to conjure..."

But he isn't listening, he's hitting at gadgets in the center column. "What is your name again?" She speaks up, still in shock.

He looks up, another sly smile on his face. "Doctor."

"Doctor Who?" Asks Belle breathlessly.

"Impolite question that is; where I come from. But I'll let it slide. Just the Doctor. And you're Belle right? I do hope I'm picking up the right one... ah of course I am!" He steps aside from the column.

"Where are you taking me Doctor?" She asks with glazed eyes coated in slight fear. If she never met the Spinner then she would be deathly afraid right now, but she knows of magic.

"Right now? Nowhere until you get cleaned up." He points to a staircase. "Third door to the left is a bath with a wardrobe, I expect you to be clean and wear a prettier dress."

She gives a small, joyful smile and a slight bow. "Yes Doctor! Right away, thank you sir!" And she scampers off. And after she leaves, hidden in his eyes, is sadness.

Belle is ready within an hour; her hair is only half its length. The rest could not be salvaged. She wears a straight dull yellow dress that hugs around her legs like beautiful snakes. "Where to now that I am looking proper?"

His lips curl in a smile, she looks dapper. "A trip down memory lane," he motions with his hand, "step outside."

"But - the dungeon..." She breathes fearfully. His head shakes in response.

"No, magic remember. We've moved."

"To where?" She counters.

"Through time." He replies. "And area."

Belle is not surprised, she knows the strengths of magic and knows it has no limits. Time is defiantly no limit, so she believes him. But she still has him open the door; her wrists are swollen and sore.

"Take this," Belle looks up at him and in his hand is a black cape with a hood. "We must hide our faces, mustn't be seen by unwanted eyes."

She nods and takes it, he is right.

They step outside. It is late spring and flowers are in bloom, so the air smells sweet. Puddles line a dirt road to a small village and water still clogs the air. A storm as recently passed. They are between spruce woodland and a meadow, the village looms a mile away. Belle turns around and notices the blue box is now a large oak. "Had to disguise it." Explains the Doctor with a sly smile. "But it is only temporary." She smiles in response.

"What are we looking for?" Belle asks, placing the hood over her head.

The Doctor points to three boys playing. "See the one with no shoes?" He asks, leaning against the magical oak.

Belle nods, "yes. They all look happy, maybe 6 years old?"

He nods, "correct. The shoeless boy is the one who will grow up to be Rumpelstiltskin."

Belle gaps her jaw in disbelief and focuses more on the boy. His hair is dark and curled, his eyes brown. Thin frame and short in height with the deathly give away of a poor boy. He looks freighted of the two boys but still plays, clearly the omega of the three.

"Come on, we have more to look at. Don't worry, we wont leave him for long." And the Doctor steps into the magical oak, followed by Belle. She has goose bumps along her limps and when they are inside she sits down.

"Now where?" She asks and they have but a moment before they step out. He looks at her with a distant smile before beckoning her to come out. She obeys graciously.

They are now in thick woodland and dusk approaches. The same three boys are playing, but they are older - young teenagers.

"Rumpel you'll never fight in the war!" Teases one of the boys with raven black hair and thick muscles.

"Yeah, Dalk is right!" Retorts the other with black hair and gray eyes. His response is stupid and Belle can tell his wits aren't there.

"And no woman will marry a coward as such!" Replies Dalk tauntingly. "Only dust shall flow from your loins and you shall make no honor out of your father!"

Rumpel's lip twitches, "you watch me Clad and Dalk, and I will do no such thing."

Dalk snorted, a glistening evil in his eyes. "Bet on it shoe boy." And he punched Rumpelstiltskin in the face.

Bell almost screamed out in terror and anger but the Doctor held her back, hushing her with calming words.

Blood flowed from Rumpelstiltskin's nose. "Fight back you coward, prove to me you can fight."

Rumpel looked up at Dalk in terror, "do so I shall not." His knees were plastered to the ground.

Dalk grinned and spit on his face, "you are as damned as the mother that birthed you. A worthless coward." He leaned down near his face, hate glistening in the eye. "Leave this village, no one wants you here. I will say that a wolf got you, there will be dancing. Even your shoemaking father will smile of your riddance. And with you dead I can finally feel some pride in marrying your sister."

Rumpel's eyes rolled inside his head. "I knew it." He mumbled. "Fine, you win, I shall leave this place. But," and he held up a finger, "this isn't the last you've seen of me." And he fell to the ground in agony.

Dalk grinned, "good boy. Always a peasant you shall be," he kicked him hard in the face and Belle heard a crunch. Again she nearly screamed. "Farewell and may you be dead in the morning." And Dalk and Clad both slumbered away in obvious joy.

When they were out of sight Belle nearly ran to him but the Doctor held her back. "He'll die with those wounds!" She nearly screeched but he just handed her a flask of alcohol and bandages.

"Be quick," he whispered but she was already at the young boy.

Belle stroked his head; he was hardly conscious and let out a small moan. Rumpelstiltskin's eyes were closed.

There was a large cut on his forehead, clouded by bruises. She cleaned it with alcohol. "You saved me," she whispered. "Never thought I'd be returning it. Gods you are young... younger then me." His head was cradled in her lap.

His breathing was faint and small but he still cringed at the feel of alcohol. "You will grow up to be the bravest man I know Rumpelstiltskin, but now I see you." She gave a small laugh. "I see you as human, and boy are you handsome." Belle began to wrap his head in the bandages, "you wont remember me when you awake; good. I don't want you to. I come along in a long time... And I guess, if this is my only time to do so," she looked at the small innocent face and leaned down to kiss his lips gently, warmly. The first time for him and last for her... Belle almost cried.

She made her way to the Doctor, bloodied dress and all. "What will happen of him?" Her voice wavered sadly.

The Doctor looked distant, remembering something sad. "He will awaken with no memory of you, except a feel of warmth. He will also be awoken by a traveler who will take him to his village and he will grow up there; happy." The Doctor then smiled. "Come on, two more stops."

She sniffed but followed him into the magical machine.

Belle had changed into a red dress, the yellow one was scratched and bloodied. It was a dark crimson with flowing edges to the knee. She still wore the black cape.

They were inside Rumpelstiltskin's castle, well, the Doctor was. He had to retrieve something for her. He came in a few moments after he left.

"Why didn't I come with you?" She asked.

He simply said, "paradoxes." But she didn't question farther on the subject. In his hands was a rose; the rose Rumpelstiltskin had given her. "Here," he gave it to her.

She smiled, "what is the meaning of this rose?"

The Doctor cringed sadly but then looked at her, "you'll see. Final stop till you depart." And he clicked at the column. Belle had a feeling of moving but wasn't exactly sure why.

"I... depart?" She asked curiously.

He nodded. "Belle you still need to die, its unavoidable." He looked at her sadly and watched a spasm coursed through her body.

"I'm sorry but -"

"We can't avoid it Belle. Why do you think I'm showing you all this? He would've wanted it."

She hung her head in defeat. "But it travels through time -"

He interrupted her again. "It does. But you can't run forever."

She sniffed back a tear; she knew she'd have to die. Might as well face it. "Alright, where now?"

He held open the door, "find out." And she walked out in slight fear.

She was in a dungeon, a special one by the feel of magic. The rose was in her hand, and it hung erect with all the course of power. To her right she saw him, one of the rare occasions that he slept. He didn't seem to notice her.

For a moment she watched the beast sleep then tears almost sprouted from her eyes. _I love you._ She thought so hard, _and I'll never leave you... I'll try not to at least. _And so Belle put the rose down on a small rock. Golden light flashed around it then calmed and it looked at home. "Goodbye Rumpelstiltskin... sleep well." She breathed. Belle didn't dare approach him, she couldn't. It was hard enough as it was... so she went back inside the machine.

"Thank you," she whispered once the door had closed. "Thank you Doctor."

He bowed, "don't mention on. Come on Belle, it is time." And his eyes were sober in sadness as he led her to her death.

The door closed behind the Doctor and Rumpelstiltskin looked up from his perch. "It is done?" He chimed.

The Doctor nodded, "she has seen all she needed to see."

"Good," Rumpelstiltskin nearly purred. His talon-like-nails gripped at the air near him. "You did not lie old friend."

"Of course I didn't," scoffed the Doctor.

"And you took her to the exact point for her death?" He nearly leapt of his rock with so much gusto.

The Doctor nodded, "yes. Now, where is it?"

Rumpelstiltskin sighed then reached behind him, "you still wish to see?"

Gulping the Doctor nodded, keeping his distance.

"Then I will need the tear of a Time Lord upon the mirror." The words were speeded then slowed then purred and snapped.

"Gladly Spinner," and he took the enchanted mirror from the beast - making sure not to touch him. For a moment the Doctor struggled to cry then a single blue drop fell from his eye to the water-like mirror. "Show me her." He commanded, looking into it.

The mirror shifted then rippled and the face of a blonde girl appeared on the mirror. There was a baby in her hands, and she was smiling. "Oh little Jack," Rose said kindly. "The Doctor wishes he could've seen you I bet." She smiled. "But you got daddy, he's good right? Works a lot," she scoffed, "but amazing. Fantastic even." Rose grinned then the mirror shifted and became a mirror once more.

Rumpelstiltskin was studying the Doctor, displeasure peeled onto his face. "Love, such a monster isn't it." He smiled, showing stained teeth.

The Doctor sighed, nodding and handed him back the mirror. "Till we meet again old friend, till we meet again." And he stepped into the TARDIS, joy and sadness plastered on his beautiful complexion.

Rumpelstiltskin to sighed then leapt onto the bars, people were approaching. Snow White and Prince Charming.

Belle was looking at the ground and nearly cursed. She heard the swoosh as the scythe went upwards then felt a slight sting in the neck. Magical flooded around her and she knew she wasn't dead. Just a moment of the scythe, but that to disappeared. And she was swept away to a foreign land, her memory being cleaned away as she churned through the storm.

Rumpelstiltskin grabbed at the rose, seeing the words etched along the stem. _I love you. _"Always," he breathed, feeling his talons course along it. "And you are gone now, but I will find you... I promise." And he sat down, clutching at the flower in his hands. The final rose.

**A/N - **I will probably make a prequel to this based off of The Doctor and Rumpelstiltskin meeting. But that'll come _after _I write my other ideas and get a thorough plot.


End file.
